An Analysis of the Manifestations of Politeness in Hafez’s Ghazals

Abstract

Politeness in Hafez’s ghazals is a multilayered concept that extends beyond verbal courtesy and social etiquette and is closely connected with language, ethics, social relations, love, mysticism, and knowledge. The present study aims to examine the major manifestations of politeness in Hafez’s ghazals and to explain how they are reflected in both the linguistic structure and ethical content of his poetry. The study employs a descriptive-analytical method, and the data consist of selected verses in which linguistic, rhetorical, ethical, social, amorous, mystical, and epistemic forms of politeness are clearly represented. The findings indicate that Hafez frequently employs strategies such as ambiguity, allusion, indirect criticism, rhetorical questioning, irony, prayer, mediation, concision, and softened forms of address when expressing criticism, complaint, request, advice, and protest. These strategies enable him to preserve the critical and semantic force of his discourse while avoiding verbal aggression, insult, and personalized attack. At the ethical and social levels, tolerance, chivalry, friendship, avoidance of harm, rejection of fault-finding, preservation of human dignity, and criticism of hypocrisy constitute major manifestations of politeness. At the amorous and mystical levels, humility before the beloved, secrecy, self-restraint, praise, acknowledgment of the limitations of language, and reverence for truth are central features. Epistemic politeness is also manifested through resistance to self-righteousness, avoidance of premature judgment, and recognition of the limitations of human understanding. Overall, politeness in Hafez’s ghazals is not a marginal theme but a structural principle that connects ethics, aesthetics, and modes of communication within his poetic world.